Conformance with the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (U18) - RFA-FD-12-007 Illinois Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards Project Summary/Abstract - April 16, 2012 The Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) are based on science and modern technology systems, identifying the best food safety regulatory practices necessary for a high-quality regulatory program. While Illinois is in its third year of a three-year contract with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for manufactured food inspections and has operated a food processing program for over 35 years, these standards will identify specific performance measures and elements to evaluate the effectiveness of the Illinois manufactured food processing program and the overall food safety in Illinois, matching Illinois with its states' counterparts and allowing for improved federal assessment and comparison state-to-state. Accordingly, Illinois has strategized in concert with the MFRPS guidance to meet several of the standards by year three (3) with the intent of implementing a corrective action plan to assess status and develop realistic interventions to achieve the remaining standards. This meets the FDA's expectation of full use and implementation of the program standards taking several years. Illinois' approach involves not only the overarching and tactical strategy to achieve the MFRPS but also the completion of an initial baseline assessment and third-year follow-up assessment with subsequent improvement plans for continual progress towards conformance with the standards. By and large, Illinois' implementation of the MFRPS will ensure food safety confidence for consumers, increase protection of public health foodborne illness, build the capacity and credibility of the Illinois food safety system, create an integrated, national food safety system, establish a practical framework for determining the factors of a high-quality State food safety program, and strengthen the partnership between FDA and Illinois and its States' counterparts. Utilization of the principles of continuous quality improvement and execution of the organizational management philosophy exclusive to the Illinois MFRPS strategy will strongly enhance Illinois' existing 35-year food processing program and its food processing industry - putting Illinois at the national forefront of food safety and protection.